Joaquim Prado P Moraes-Filho

Lugol's Dye Spray Chromoendoscopy Establishes Early Diagnosis of Esophageal Cancer in Patients with Primary Head and Neck Cancer

OBJECTIVE:Patients with primary head and neck cancer show a predisposition to develop esophageal cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate in these patients: the prevalence of esophageal cancer comparing the value of chromoendoscopy using Lugols solution examination to standard endoscopy, in the early diagnosis of esophageal cancer.METHODS:Prospective observational study at a state general university hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil. 326 consecutive adult patients with primary head and neck cancer were evaluated. A standard endoscopy was performed, followed by a 2% lugols dye spray chromoendoscopy and histopathologic study. The prevalence of esophageal cancer was defined. The results of the two endoscopic methods were compared.RESULTS:Twenty-four patients with esophageal cancer and high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia were detected and had a prevalence of 7.36%. Chromoendoscopy and standard endoscopy were equivalent to the diagnosis of advanced and invasive esophageal cancer. However, standard endoscopy diagnosed 55% of high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, in comparison to chromoendoscopy that detected 100%.CONCLUSIONS:Patients with primary head and neck cancer should be considered as high risks for the presence of esophageal cancer. Lugols dye chromoendoscopy diagnosed high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, which went unnoticed with standard endoscopy. It permits a more exact detection of lesion boundaries and facilitates a more precise targeting of biopsy fragments.

Helicobacter pylori antibiotic resistance in Brazil: clarithromycin is still a good option

CONTEXT The antibiotic susceptibility is the cornerstone for the eradication therapies of Helicobacter pylori. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the prevalence of primary resistance of H. pylori was evaluated in an urban Brazilian population. METHODS H. pylori isolates were obtained from patients submitted to an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for the evaluation of dyspeptic symptoms. Biopsies from antrum, corpus and fundus were taken to determine the antibiotic susceptibility of H. pylori isolates. The minimal inhibitory concentration of furazolidone and bismuth were routinely determined by agar dilution method and the minimal inhibitory for amoxicillin, clarithromycin, tetracycline, levofloxacin, and metronidazole were routinely determined with the E-test. RESULTS Fifty-four patients were included. In vitro antimicrobial susceptibility of H. pylori strains were obtained from 39 patients. Resistance to metronidazole was detected in 20 patients (51%), to clarithromycin in 3 patients (8%), to levofloxacin in 9 patients (23%) and to bismuth in 2 patients (5%). There was no observed resistance to amoxicillin, tetracycline or furazolidone. CONCLUSION Due to the low amoxicillin and clarithromycin resistance observed in this study, therapies using these antimicrobials remain appropriated first-line H. pylori therapy.

Doença do refluxo gastroesofágico: revisão ampliada

BACKGROUND: Gastroesophageal reflux disease, considered one of the most common digestive diseases in western countries, has been very much studied. The great number of publications in medical literature based upon this issue must be pointed out. However, some of its aspects remain controversial. AIMS: To emphasize important topics of the disease and to present a review on the theme. The following topics were reviewed: defi nition, prevalence, clinical complaints, indications and limitations of the major diagnostic methods and medical, surgical and endoscopic treatments. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We searched, by internet: selected review articles, consensus, guidelines and systematic reviews with meta-analysis, published in the last 5 years (from 2000 to 2005), in the following data bases: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library) and PubMed. Among lots of papers which were found, we selected nine systematic reviews with meta-analysis, fi ve review articles, fi ve guidelines and four consensus, that dealt with the topics we had decided to review. It must be pointed out that, as it has been observed in our bibliographical references, not only the publications found were taken into account; other relevant ones (some of them published previously to the analyzed time period) were considered in the composition of this present paper. CONCLUSIONS: Among the 12 conclusions presented, two have to be emphasized: 1. the esophageal multichannel intraluminal impedance has largely contributed to the better knowledge of the gastroesophageal reflux disease and it suggests, when associated with pHmetry (esophageal impedance-pHmetry), as a new gold standard to the gastroesophageal reflux diagnosis and 2: among the gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms some of them may be considered acid dependents and can usually get good responses to the proton pump inhibitors. Nevertheless, there are also some symptoms which are more dependent on the physical presence of the reflux rather than its acidity. Such symptoms, which do not depend so much on the acidity of the reflux, are not well controlled by the proton pump inhibitors.

Association of a probiotic to a Helicobacter pylori eradication regimen does not increase efficacy or decreases the adverse effects of the treatment: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

BackgroundThe treatment for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is complex; full effectiveness is rarely achieved and it has many adverse effects. In developing countries, increased resistance to antibiotics and its cost make eradication more difficult. Probiotics can reduce adverse effects and improve the infection treatment efficacy.If the first-line therapy fails a second-line treatment using tetracycline, furazolidone and proton-pump inhibitors has been effective and low cost in Brazil; however it implies in a lot of adverse effects. The aim of this study was to minimize the adverse effects and increase the eradication rate applying the association of a probiotic compound to second-line therapy regimen.MethodsPatients with peptic ulcer or functional dyspepsia infected by H. pylori were randomized to treatment with the furazolidone, tetracycline and lansoprazole regimen, twice a day for 7 days. In a double-blind study, patients received placebo or a probiotic compound (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Streptococcus faecium) in capsules, twice a day for 30 days. A symptom questionnaire was administered in day zero, after completion of antibiotic therapy, after the probiotic use and eight weeks after the end of the treatment. Upper digestive endoscopy, histological assessment, rapid urease test and breath test were performed before and eight weeks after eradication treatment.ResultsOne hundred and seven patients were enrolled: 21 men with active probiotic and 19 with placebo plus 34 women with active probiotic and 33 with placebo comprising a total of 55 patients with active probiotic and 52 with placebo. Fifty-one patients had peptic ulcer and 56 were diagnosed as functional dyspepsia. The per-protocol eradication rate with active probiotic was 89.8% and with placebo, 85.1% (p = 0.49); per intention to treat, 81.8% and 79.6%, respectively (p = 0.53). The rate of adverse effects at 7 days with the active probiotic was 59.3% and 71.2% with placebo (p = 0.20). At 30 days, it was 44.9% and 60.4%, respectively (p = 0.08).ConclusionsThe use of this probiotic compound compared to placebo in the proposed regimen in Brazilian patients with peptic ulcer or functional dyspepsia showed no significant difference in efficacy or adverse effects.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN04714018

GERD 2003 - A Consensus on the Way Ahead

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has in recent times become an important public health issue owing to the considerable health care resources utilized in its management, its deleterious effect on quality of life and the increasing prevalence of a relatively rare complication of reflux disease – esophageal adenocarcinoma. We review here the major current challenges in the field of reflux disease and its complications, and provide some approaches that may be useful in management. The issues to be faced include the very limited comprehension of the reasons behind the increasing prevalence of the disease, difficulties in correlating symptoms with objective data of pathological gastroesophageal reflux and the relatively unsophisticated tools we are employing to investigate the underlying pathophysiology. It is certain that the lack of well-defined and characterized methodologies to compare the effects of therapy require the development of more effective questionnaire-type analytic tools. In regard to treatment, there is little doubt that the widely prescribed proton pump inhibitors have dose-equivalent efficacy and are the most highly effective agents capable of suppressing acid, controlling many of the symptoms of GERD and healing erosions. Nevertheless, many patients continue to experience symptoms on withdrawal or at night. Pharmacological agents that can effectively increase lower esophageal sphincter pressure or promote motility are as yet unavailable. Although the introduction of laparoscopic techniques has resulted in a modest revival in surgical intervention using a variety of ‘wrap-type’ operations, the indications are few and the procedure is associated with a significant morbidity and even mortality especially if the expertise of the surgeon is an issue. Endoscopic techniques of regulating reflux are at this time experimental and not applicable to the general population. Intestinal metaplasia in the lower esophagus is probably very common. Whether and how to, first, screen for, and then, perform surveillance in Barrett’s esophagus remains highly problematic and contentious.

Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of gastroesophageal reflux disease: an evidence-based consensus

A doenca do refluxo gastroesofagico e uma das enfermidades mais comuns na pratica medica. Numerosas diretrizes e recomendacoes de conduta para seu diagnostico e tratamento tem sido publicadas em varios paises, mas no Brasil ainda nao havia sido realizado um trabalho de consenso baseado em padroes de Medicina baseada em evidencias. Com esse objetivo, estabeleceu-se um grupo brasileiro representativo de especialistas (Grupo de Consenso da DRGE - doenca do refluxo gastroesofagico) para estabelecer diretrizes de conduta de Medicina baseada em evidencias para a doenca do refluxo gastroesofagico que pudessem ser utilizadas tanto por medicos em cuidados primarios de saude, como por especialistas, seguradoras e agencias regulatorias. Foram propostas 30 questoes e a busca das respostas baseou-se em pesquisa sistematica da literatura para a identificacao dos temas e respectivos graus de evidencia. Foram selecionadas 11.069 publicacoes sobre doenca do refluxo gastroesofagico, das quais 6.474 sobre diagnostico e 4.595 sobre terapeutica. Em relacao ao diagnostico, 51 trabalhos alcancaram as exigencias de Medicina baseada em evidencias: 19 foram classificadas como grau A e 32 como grau B. Em relacao a terapeutica, 158 alcancaram as exigencias de Medicina baseada em evidencias: 89 foram classificadas como grau A e 69 como grau B. No item Diagnostico as respostas sustentadas por publicacao de graus A e B foram aceitas. No item Tratamento, somente publicacoes grau A foram aceitas: as respostas apoiadas por publicacoes grau B foram submetidas a votacao pelo Grupo de Consenso. A presente publicacao apresenta as respostas as questoes propostas com os trabalhos mais representativos seguidos por comentarios pertinentes. Exemplos: 1) em pacientes com manifestacoes atipicas a pHmetria convencional pouco contribui para o diagnostico de doenca do refluxo gastroesofagico. A sensibilidade, entretanto, aumenta com o emprego de pHmetria de duplo canal. 2) Em pacientes com manifestacoes atipicas a impedância-pHmetria contribui substancialmente para o diagnostico de doenca do refluxo gastroesofagico. O exame, entretanto, e oneroso e pouco disponivel em nosso pais. 3) A avaliacao dos sinais histologicos de esofagite eleva a probabilidade diagnostica da doenca do refluxo gastroesofagico, considerando-se que a observacao das dimensoes do espaco intercelular da mucosa esofagica aumenta a probabilidade de certeza diagnostica e tambem permite a analise da resposta terapeutica. 4) Nao ha diferenca na resposta clinica ao tratamento com inibidor da bomba protonica administrado em duas doses diarias quando comparado a uma unica dose diaria. 5) A longo prazo (>1 ano) a erradicacao do H .pylori em pacientes com doenca do refluxo gastroesofagico nao reduz a presenca de sintomas ou a elevada recurrencia da enfermidade, embora reduza os sinais histologicos de inflamacao. E muito provavel que nao ocorra associacao entre a erradicacao do H. pylori e as manifestacoes da doenca do refluxo gastroesofagico. 6) A presenca de hernia hiatal exige doses maiores de IBP para o tratamento clinico. A ocorrencia de migracao permanente da juncao esofago-gastrica e as dimensoes da hernia (>2 cm) sao fatores de pior prognostico na doenca do refluxo gastroesofagico. Nesses casos, as hernias hiatais associadas a doenca do refluxo gastroesofagico, especialmente as fixas e maiores do que 2 cm devem ser consideradas para tratamento cirurgico. Os resultados da fundoplicatura laparoscopica tem se mostrado adequados.Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most common disorders in medical practice. A number of guidelines and recommendations for the diagnosis and management of GERD have been published in different countries, but a Brazilian accepted directive by the standards of evidence-based medicine is still lacking. As such, the aim of the Brazilian GERD Consensus Group was to develop guidelines for the diagnosis and management of GERD, strictly using evidence-based medicine methodology that could be clinically used by primary care physicians and specialists and would encompass the needs of physicians, investigators, insurance and regulatory bodies. A total of 30 questions were proposed. Systematic literature reviews, which defined inclusion and/or exclusion criteria, were conducted to identify and grade the available evidence to support each statement. A total of 11,069 papers on GERD were selected, of which 6,474 addressed the diagnosis and 4,595, therapeutics. Regarding diagnosis, 51 met the requirements for the analysis of evidence-based medicine: 19 of them were classified as grade A and 32 as grade B. As for therapeutics, 158 met the evidence-based medicine criteria; 89 were classified as grade A and 69 as grade B. In the topic Diagnosis, answers supported by publications grade A and B were accepted. In the topic Treatment only publications grade A were accepted: answers supported by publications grade B were submitted to the voting by the Consensus Group. The present publication presents the most representative studies that responded to the proposed questions, followed by pertinent comments. Follow examples. In patients with atypical manifestations, the conventional esophageal pH-metry contributes little to the diagnosis of GERD. The sensitivity, however, increases with the use of double-channel pH-metry. In patients with atypical manifestations, the impedance-pH-metry substantially contributes to the diagnosis of GERD. The examination, however, is costly and scarcely available in our country. The evaluation of the histological signs of esophagitis increases the diagnostic probability of GERD; hence, the observation of the dimensions of the intercellular space of the esophageal mucosa increases the probability of diagnostic certainty and also allows the analysis of the therapeutic response. There is no difference in the clinical response to the treatment with PPI in two separate daily doses when compared to a single daily dose. In the long term (>1 year), the eradication of H. pylori in patients with GERD does not decrease the presence of symptoms or the high recurrence rates of the disease, although it decreases the histological signs of gastric inflammation. It seems very likely that there is no association between the eradication of the H. pylori and the manifestations of GERD. The presence of a hiatal hernia requires larger doses of proton-pump inhibitor for the clinical treatment. The presence of permanent migration from the esophagogastric junction and the hernia dimensions (>2 cm) are factors of worse prognosis in GERD. In this case, hiatal hernias associated to GERD, especially the fixed ones and larger than 2 cm, must be considered for surgical treatment. The outcomes of the laparoscopic fundoplication are adequate.

Eosinophilic esophagitis in patients with typical gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms refractory to proton pump inhibitor

BACKGROUND: TREATMEN The contribution of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) to refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) remains unknown. When EoE and GERD overlap, the clinical, endoscopic and histological findings are nonspecific and cannot be used to distinguish between the two disorders. Limited data are available on this topic, and the interaction between EoE and GERD is a matter of debate. AIM: We have conducted a prospective study of adult patients with refractory GERD to evaluate the overlap of reflux and EoE. METHODS: Between July 2006 and June 2008, we consecutively and prospectively enrolled 130 male and female patients aged 18 to 70 years old who experienced persistent heartburn and/or regurgitation more than twice a week over the last 30 days while undergoing at least six consecutive weeks of omeprazole treatment (at least 40 mg once a day). The patients underwent an upper digestive endoscopy with esophageal biopsy, and intraepithelial eosinophils were counted after hematoxylin/eosin staining. The diagnosis of EoE was based on the presence of 20 or more eosinophils per high-power field (eo/HPF) in esophageal biopsies. RESULTS: Among the 103 studied patients, 79 (76.7%) were females. The patients had a mean age of 45.5 years and a median age of 47 years. Endoscopy was normal in 83.5% of patients, and erosive esophagitis was found in 12.6%. Only one patient presented lesions suggestive of EoE. Histological examination revealed >20 eo/HPF in this patient. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated a low prevalence of EoE among patients with refractory GERD undergoing omeprazole treatment.

Lack of Specificity of the Acid Perfusion Test in Duodenal Ulcer Patients

The acid perfusion test was performed on 36 selected patients with duodenal ulcer; 22 of them also had a diagnosis of reflux esophagitis, while the remaining 14 had no esophageal disease. Radiologic, endoscopic, and histologic studies were made to evaluate the state of the esophageal and gastric mucosae. The correlations between the presence of esophagitis and gastritis (P<0.05), between gastritis plus esophagitis and heart-burn (P<0.01), and between esophagitis plus gastritis and a positive acid perfusion test (P<0.01) were statistically significant, while the correlations between the presence of esophagitis and heartburn (P>0.05), between gastritis, and heartburn (P>0.05), and between esophagitis and a positive acid perfusion test (P<0.05) were not significant. The validity of a positive acid perfusion test as a definite diagnosis and of heartburn as a symptom characteristic of reflux esophagitis is questioned. Rather, this experiment points out that both are more apt to occur when both the esophageal and the gastric mucosae undergo inflammatory reaction.

Dietary habits, ethanol and tobacco consumption as predictive factors in the development of esophageal carcinoma in patients with head and neck neoplasms.

Patients with primary head and neck cancers have a higher risk of developing esophageal cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate esophageal cancer prevalence, its risk factors (ethanol and tobacco consumption) and dietary habits in patients with head and neck cancer. Three hundred and twenty-six adults with primary head and neck cancer were followed by a retrospective observational study in a general university hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Flexible videoendoscopy with lugol chromoscopy was the method used to investigate esophageal cancer prevalence. All subjects were interviewed face-to-face, revealing detailed information about their tobacco and alcohol use, as well as their dietary habits. Thirty-six patients with esophageal cancer were diagnosed and the overall prevalence rate was 11.04%. Patients who developed second esophageal tumors had the following characteristics: earlier age of initial ethanol consumption (P < 0.05), longer duration period of ethanol consumption (P < 0.05) and higher weekly consumption rate (P < 0.05). There was an increased risk of esophageal carcinoma in those patients who both smoked and drank (P < 0.05). There was no association between carcinoma of the esophagus and dietary habits in patients who developed esophageal neoplasms, compared with those who did not. Prevalence rate of esophageal neoplasms was 11.04% in patients with head and neck carcinoma, whose ethanol consumption was associated with esophageal cancer. There was an increased risk between ethanol and tobacco consumption and esophageal carcinoma development. On the other hand, there was no association regarding dietary habits between patients who developed esophageal cancer and those who did not.

3rd BRAZILIAN CONSENSUS ON Helicobacter pylori

Signicant progress has been obtained since the Second Brazilian Consensus Conference on Helicobacter pylori Infection held in 2004, in São Paulo, SP, Brazil, and justify a third meeting to establish updated guidelines on the current management of H. pylori infection. The Third Brazilian Consensus Conference on H pylori Infection was organized by the Brazilian Nucleus for the Study of Helicobacter, a Department of the Brazilian Federation of Gastroenterology and took place on April 12-15, 2011, in Bento Gonçalves, RS, Brazil. Thirty-one delegates coming from the five Brazilian regions and one international guest, including gastroenterologists, pathologists, epidemiologists, and pediatricians undertook the meeting. The participants were allocated in one of the five main topics of the meeting: H pylori, functional dyspepsia and diagnosis; H pylori and gastric cancer; H pylori and other associated disorders; H pylori treatment and retreatment; and, epidemiology of H pylori infection in Brazil. The results of each subgroup were submitted to a final consensus voting to all participants. Relevant data were presented, and the quality of evidence, strength of recommendation, and level of consensus were graded. Seventy per cent and more votes were considered as acceptance for the final statement. This article presents the main recommendations and conclusions to guide Brazilian doctors involved in the management of H pylori infection.